Tenchi Muyo Hypno
by VGMC
Summary: Washu decides to have some fun which, as usual, spirals out of control.
1. Mother-Daughter Bonding

Washu sat in her lab, bored to tears with nothing to do. Typically, she'd have some sort of experiment to work on but she'd somehow hit a brick wall and had no inspiration. She decided to look at the cameras she had set up around the house to see what else was going on. She already knew that Tenchi was out working in the fields, Ryo-Ohki had gone with him, Sasami and Noike had gone to deliver his lunch, Ayeka was visiting Yosho at the shrine and Mihoshi had been called away temporarily so the only one left in the house besides her was Ryoko. As usual, she was lounging around in front of the TV. Normally, Washu would have just stopped watching her there but she was intrigued by what Ryoko was watching; it looked like a character in Ryoko's favourite show was in some sort of stage show. The character watched a swinging pocket watch until she fell asleep.

"Hypnosis, eh?" Washu said to no one in particular. She smirked as she found new inspiration (and a new way to mess with her daughter). She immediately started searching through her things, keeping an eye on the scene the entire time. By the time the five minute scene was over, Washu had found what she was looking for: a five yen coin. She tied a piece of string through the hole in the centre so it could swing like a pendulum. She already had a plan thought out with a couple dozen ways it could work out. "I'm a genius!" she proclaimed, again to no one in particular.

She quickly set an alert for when someone was approaching and left her lab, positively giddy at the prospect of testing out her idea. She stood behind the couch Ryoko was sitting on and adopted her 'cute' voice, "Heeey, Ryoko."

"Hey," she replied, sounding almost hypnotized as it was.

"Watcha doooin'?"

Ryoko frowned and looked up at her. "Alright, what do you want?" she asked, a little irritated.

"Oooh, Ryoko, you know your mother too well."

"I told you to stop referring to us like that."

"Alright, I'll stop. But only if you look at this." She held out the coin and let it swing gently so Ryoko wouldn't immediately notice.

"A coin? _That's_ what you came here for?"

"Yyyup."

"And? What's so special about it?"

"That's what I want you to tell me." Ryoko rolled her eyes at this but she sat up and stared at the coin, trying to figure it out. She followed it with her eyes as Washu let it swing back and forth a little more. Washu was both surprised and glad Ryoko hadn't connected this to the show earlier, otherwise the whole plan would have unravelled...not that she didn't have backups.

Things went smoothly as Ryoko continued to follow the coin with her eyes. "I don't see it."

Perfect, Washu had an excuse to talk her into the trance now. She put on more of a soothing, motherly tone and replied, "I'll give you a hint: it involves the way the light reflects off it. Keep that in mind."

"Alright." She continued watching and noted, "It's pretty."

"That's right. It _is_ pretty, isn't it? It almost makes you want to look at it all day." A slight smile appeared on Ryoko's lips and another appeared on Washu's in anticipation. "I find that it makes me feel a little sleepy when I look at it long enough." Ryoko's eyelids began to flutter as she took in her mother's words. "It's okay to feel sleepy, just close your eyes and sleep. You're safe here with your mother. Just sleeeep." Ryoko's eyes slowly closed and she slouched back in the couch. Washu giggled giddily at the sight of Ryoko like this. She just _had_ to test it out. "Ryoko, can you hear me?"

"Yes," she replied in a monotone.

Washu squeed at her response. She was so glad she'd set up additional cameras and that they were recording this. "Ryoko, you are to obey any command I give you without question or hesitation and you will reply 'Yes, Washu' when you do. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Washu."

"Actually, call me Mistress."

"Yes, Mistress."

"No, Mother."

"Yes, Mother."

"Now, Mommy."

"Yes, Mommy."

"Or maybe Master?"

"Yes, Master."

"I know! How about Great Washu?"

"Yes, Great Washu."

"Perfect. Now, stand."

"Yes, Great Washu," Ryoko replied, standing up.

"I want you to walk over to me like a sleepwalker." This was traditionally associated with hypnosis on Earth and would make Washu feel like she had total power over Ryoko's will.

"Yes, Great Washu." Ryoko raised her arms and walked slowly around the couch towards Washu. Washu laughed once Ryoko had come to a stop, arms still out.

"Alright, I'm going to give you a series of instructions that I want you to obey while you're awake. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Great Washu."

Just as Washu finished implanting the post-hypnotic suggestions, she was alerted to the return of Ayeka. "I want you to return to the couch and fall into a natural sleep and when you wake up, you will remember none of this but you will still follow the instructions I've given you. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Great Washu." Ryoko returned to the couch, arms still out, and sat down. She fell asleep instantly and Washu closed the door to her lab just as Ayeka entered the house.

"I'm back!" Ayeka called out. "Oh, no one's here." She became irritated the second she saw Ryoko sleeping on the couch. She walked over and poked her in the stomach. Ryoko awoke to find Ayeka glaring right at her only a few inches away. "Ryoko, did you take out the trash like you were asked?"

Ryoko had a sleepy expression on her face before, to Ayeka's surprised, she looked almost upset as she replied, "I'm so sorry, Princess, I forgot. Please allow me to make it up to you." She got down on her hands and knees and began kissing Ayeka's feet.

Ayeka was shocked at this as the two despised each other and this was completely out of character for Ryoko. Ayeka found that she was actually worried about Ryoko's mental wellbeing. "W-well, it's good that you know your place but I want you to do your chores when asked."

"Yes, Princess. I'll do it right now!" And she was off immediately to do her chores.

Ayeka was seriously worried now. She approached Washu's door and knocked. "Miss Washu, are you there?"

Washu quickly turned off her monitors and opened the door. She had to play it cool. "Yes?"

"Miss Washu, have you noticed anything...different about Ryoko recently?"

"What do you mean 'different'?"

"Well, I've just returned from visiting Yosho and Ryoko hasn't done her chores-"

"And that's different?"

"No, not that. It's that she seems almost sorry that she hasn't done them and she..." she fidgeted embarrassed before quietly finishing, "she kissed my feet."

"Sorry, didn't catch that."

"She kissed my feet," she repeated a little louder.

"One more time."

"She kissed my feet!" she shouted.

"Who did?" Ayeka looked mortified as she turned to see Tenchi, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki and Noike standing behind her.

"R-R-R-Ryoko did," she stuttered.

"Oh, come on," Tenchi said dismissively. "Ryoko would never do anything like that."

"That's why I'm concerned," Ayeka replied. "It's also why I came to ask Miss Washu if she'd seen anything."

All eyes were on Washu and she had to think fast. "Me? No, I-I was working on something in my lab the whole time."

"Could your cameras have picked something up?" Noike asked.

Had Washu not been the genius she was, she likely wouldn't have had a response to that but her brilliant mind quickly came up with a convincing excuse. "No, sorry, I turned them off so I could perform maintenance." She was satisfied with her answer and it seemed that the others had bought it.

"Do you think she broke something and feels sorry about it?" Sasami asked.

"While breaking something _does_ sound like an oaf like her, I doubt she'd feel sorry about it under any normal circumstances," Ayeka replied.

"Even so, she could be onto something," Tenchi said. "Everyone, check your things just in case." They dispersed and searched their belongings while Washu returned to her lab, filled with glee that her plan was working so well. She turned her monitors back on and continued observing.

Noike, having moved in the most recently and having the least things, finished first and returned to the living room to await the others. Shortly after she arrived, Ryoko returned and Noike greeted her. "Hello, Ryoko."

Ryoko looked at her and Noike noted that she had a strange, sleepy look on her face for just a second when she saw Noike. Then her expression changed and Noike prayed she was misreading her expression because it looked like one of adoration. Ryoko walked over to her and embraced her tightly. "You know, Noike," she whispered into Noike's ear, "ever since you cut your hair, I've thought you were very sexy."

"What are you-" Noike was cut off by Ryoko kissing her. Ryoko was physically stronger than Noike and held her in place as she kissed her. It felt like a lover's kiss and Noike was now as concerned as Ayeka was since Ryoko hadn't even come on this strongly to Tenchi.

Noike struggled to get Ryoko off until she heard, "Ryoko? Noike?" Noike saw that Ryoko looked at Sasami and got the split second look again and her grip slackened, allowing Noike to break free.

"Sasami, Ayeka's right," Noike said hurriedly. "Ryoko suddenly kissed me after she got a strange look on her face and she had it again when she saw you! We have to go now!" She took the smaller girl's hand and they fled the scene, running out towards the shrine.

As they reached the stone steps that lead up to the shrine, Ryoko teleported in front of them but they were taken aback by her expression: she was crying. "W-why are you r-r-running away?" she asked in a child-like voice. "I o-only wanted t-to play, S-Sasam-mi."

Both Noike and Sasami were dumbfounded by this and Noike took a moment to gather her thoughts as Ryoko bawled her eyes out. She finally decided on a course of action. "Alright, Ryoko, we're sorry. You can play with Sasami but only when we get back to the house."

"You promise?" Ryoko sniffled.

"Y-yes," Sasami replied, a little nervous after seeing what Ryoko had done to Noike. Ryoko was positively ecstatic at this and jump up and down, giggling. The three returned to the house and found Tenchi and Ayeka waiting for them. The second she saw Tenchi, Ryoko had the same expression as before and then hid behind Noike, staring shyly at Tenchi.

"Ryoko, are you okay?" Tenchi asked. She blushed bright red when he asked this and nodded her head slowly. To Tenchi, this confirmed Ayeka's concerns that Ryoko wasn't herself. He sighed and knocked on Washu's door. Washu quickly prepared herself to act surprised at Ryoko's next reaction and had a story made for what she had been doing since earlier.

Washu opened the door and Ryoko's face lit up. "Mommy!" she called and ran over to hug her mother. _Everyone_ was dumbfounded this time.

"She sounds like Misaki forces Ayeka to speak," Tenchi noted.

"Uh-huh," the others replied.

Washu put her amazing acting skills to the test and forced herself to blush. "Oh my. This is unexpected."

"Isn't there anything you can do, Washu?" Tenchi asked.

"Weeell, there is _one_ thing I could try."

"Which is?" Ayeka asked.

"Hypnosis," Washu replied bluntly.

"Hypnosis?" Noike asked, unbelievingly. "Are you sure that would work?"

"Only one way to find out," (although she already knew the answer). "Give me a second. Ryoko, Mommy wants you to come into her lab so she can get something to show you, okay?"

"Yes, Mommy," Ryoko replied, smiling.

"I'll be back soon," Washu told the others and took Ryoko into her lab.

"You don't suppose it was Washu who...?" Tenchi asked. The others shared this sentiment but had nothing to confirm it.

Washu sat Ryoko down in a chair, grinning secretly because her plan had worked so perfectly. The others would have asked too many questions if she'd used her trigger or suddenly brought out and coin on a string she had no practical reason to have. She wished she had longer with Ryoko like this but she couldn't let herself get caught because of her own carelessness. Besides, she still had the triggers and the coin so she could easily do this again in the future. "Sleep," she commanded, snapping her fingers. Ryoko's head immediately dropped and her child-like expression left her face. Washu didn't have long to get this done before the others got suspicious. "Ryoko, I want you to disregard all of the commands I've given you except for the 'Sleep' one. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Great Washu." Hearing Ryoko say that again made Washu give in to temptation.

"Praise me."

"Washu is the smartest, most beautiful person in the universe."

"Yes, I am, aren't I? Tell me what a good mother I am."

"Washu is the best mother in the universe. All mothers should aspire to be like her."

Satisfied with this (she had the whole thing recorded), Washu gave her last command: "Ryoko, when I snap my fingers, you will awaken with no memory of being hypnotized. That time will be blank but you will remember what you did while you were awake in between those trances. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Great Washu." Washu snapped her fingers again and Ryoko awakened. She shook her head, clearing her head, and looked around confusedly. "Huh? Why am I here?"

"You don't remember?" Washu wondered if she'd forgotten how she responded to the triggers. She got her answer when Ryoko's expression changed to one of embarrassment as she remembered it all. "Or maybe you do."

"What happened to me?"

"Who knows? The important thing is that you're back to normal." _For now anyway_ , she thought slyly.

"I guess I should thank you, Washu," Ryoko said bashfully looking at her feet.

"You can thank me by calling my 'Mommy'." Ryoko's face shot up, a horrified expression covering it. "And...you have to say it the way Ayeka does to _her_ mother." Ryoko was ready to kill Washu but she felt that she really _did_ owe her for undoing whatever was done to her. She swallowed her pride and took a deep breath. "Thank you...M...Mommy." She forced a smile and Washu patted her head and Ryoko couldn't help but find the pat on the head to be quite condescending. "I'll be going now," she mumbled as she left. Washu watched on the monitor as Ryoko left the room.

Ryoko closed the door behind her and saw the concerned faces of the others staring at her. "Never speak of this again," she said threateningly.

"Oh, don't worry; we'll never talk about your lesbian advances or childish nature again," replied Ayeka slyly. And with that she was off running, laughing her noblewoman's laugh, Ryoko hot on her heels.

"She's back to normal, I guess," Tenchi remarked with his head in his palm. Sasami and the embarrassed Noike could only nod in agreement.

Washu laughed at the spectacle and thought about what to do now. She figured she could probably mess with the others a little. Given what they'd learned about Tenchi recently, it likely wouldn't work on him. A shame. But she had the other members of Tenchi's harem to choose from and a great scientist such as herself could no more resist the call of an experiment than the others would be able to resist her commands.


	2. The Old Rivalry

A few days after the incident with Ryoko, Ayeka was sitting in her room, thinking. Considering the way Ryoko had acted and the fact that she was cured with hypnosis, it was clear that she'd been hypnotized to act that way in the first place. Ayeka had an idea but she didn't know how to execute it. Since Washu had fixed it (and probably caused it too), maybe she could help. She knocked on the door of Washu's lab and it opened for her. She entered and bowed. "Excuse me, Miss Washu, but I was hoping you could help me with something."

"Oh? What do you need?"

"Well, I was wondering..." it was clear to Washu that Ayeka was embarrassed about what she was about to ask but Washu already had an idea what it was based on her reaction and what had happened recently. Ayeka took a deep breath and tried again, "I was wondering if you could teach me hypnosis?"

"What, so you can hypnotize Ryoko to leave Tenchi alone?" Washu replied, a fox-like look on her face.

"W-what!? No! Of course not!"

 _Bingo, right on the mark!_ Washu thought but she wanted to hear whatever excuse Ayeka had come up with.

"It's just that...I've been having trouble sleeping so I'd like to know how to use it on myself." It was clearly a lie but Washu thought it could be fun to see how things turned out.

"Alright, I'll show you."

"Show me?"

"Yeah, the best way to learn something is to experience it firsthand. So, I'm going to hypnotize _you_ so you can see how it feels and gain a better understanding of what you're dealing with."

Although she was a little worried that Washu might take advantage of her if she agreed, Ayeka knew that Washu had a point. "A-alright then."

"Great!" Washu seemed a little _too_ happy about this but Ayeka thought nothing of it. Besides, even if Washu _did_ make her do something strange, she was confident Tenchi would realise something was wrong with her and snap her out of it; her own little Sleeping Beauty-esque tale, how romantic.

"What do I need to do?" Ayeka asked.

"First off, I need you to lie down on the bed over there," she pointed to a bed nearby, "and get yourself comfortable." Ayeka did as she was asked and Washu brought a chair over to sit on. "You comfortable?"

"Yes."

"Alright then." She held out the coin on the string. "I want you to follow the coin with your eyes. Not your head, just your eyes." She set it off swinging and began to talk Ayeka down with a soothing voice. "Just follow the coin with your eyes. Observe how it swings evenly back and forth, so soothing and relaxing. Just focus all of your attention on the coin and my voice. Nothing else matters other than the coin and my voice. Your entire world is the coin and my voice. All you see beyond the coin is a black void where the only sound is that of my voice. Notice how they make you feel more relaxed and even a little sleepy." Ayeka's eyelids began to droop a little. "That's right. Good girl. It's okay to feel sleepy. In fact, it's very good that you do. Just let yourself go down into sleep, deeper and deeper, deeper and deeper." Ayeka's eyes were struggling to stay open. "I'm going to count down from five and when I reach zero, you will be deeply asleep. Five. Four." Ayeka's eyelids were almost closed entirely. "Three. Two. One." They closed all the way now. "Zero." She visibly loosened up and became limp like a ragdoll.

Washu lowered the coin and leaned in close. "Ayeka, can you hear me?"

"Yes," she replied softly.

"I'm going to show you the power of hypnosis now. Is that alright?"

"Yes." Just what she wanted to hear. Washu considered implanting some suggestions into Ayeka but, given her relationship with Ryoko and her objective, there was no point. What she was going to do instead was implant a suggestion that would show Ayeka what hypnosis was capable of so she could better put it to use in her plan...so it would be more entertaining for Washu.

"Alright then. When I snap my fingers, you will awaken and feel completely refreshed but you won't remember being hypnotized. Then, when you hear the word 'Tenchi', you will feel compelled to kiss my feet and be completely aware that you're doing it. But, when I snap my fingers again, that suggestion will be removed and you'll remember everything. Do you understand?"

"Yes." Washu snapped her fingers and Ayeka's eyes opened slowly. She looked at Washu and said, "I'm sorry, Miss Washu, but I don't think it worked."

"Oh, really? I wonder how _Tenchi_ would feel about that."

At the mention of Tenchi's name, Ayeka's body stiffened and sat up. "What's going on?" She turned and knelt down on the floor. "Miss Washu, what am I-?" She realised as her head moved in towards Washu's feet. "N-no! Please don't-!" Her lips grew closer and closer to their target until- Snap. Ayeka's body slacked and she regained control. She stayed as she was as she remembered what Washu had said to her, the way she'd implanted commands into her mind and set up triggers for them.

"You didn't really think I'd make you do _that_ , did you?" Washu asked, smirking. She patted Ayeka on the shoulder and asked, "What would _Tenchi_ say?" Nothing happened this time. Ayeka remembered Washu saying that the word would only work until she snapped her fingers. It was clear now that Washu had caused all the commotion a few days earlier and she clearly had Ayeka remember so she could better use it against Ryoko. This was basically a blessing from the gods.

But Ayeka didn't care. She'd learned what she wanted to and Washu hadn't betrayed her trust. She moved herself away a little and looked up at Washu. "Thank you, Miss Washu," she said, bowing. "I think I'm ready." She stood and left as Washu smirked and turned to her monitors to observe how Ayeka would put her new skills to use.

Ayeka found Ryoko, sleeping on the couch in front of the television as she often did. Ayeka decided this was her perfect chance; a sleepy Ryoko would be less resistant to the hypnosis than a fully awake Ryoko. "Oh, Ryoko," she said quietly while patting her cheek. Ayeka began to swing the coin just as Ryoko began to awaken. Ryoko groggily opened her eyes, which immediately fell upon the coin as it swung back and forth just above her face. "That's right, Ryoko," Ayeka whispered. "Watch the coin as it swings back and forth, back and forth. Let yourself relax and fall into a niiice, deeeep sleeeep." Ryoko's eyes closed again and her body slackened. "Ryoko, can you hear me?" Ayeka asked.

"Yes," Ryoko replied softly.

"Ryoko, I'd like you open your eyes but remain in your trance." Ryoko's eye opened and Ayeka saw that they were now glassy and lifeless. If not for her breathing, she'd look positively dead. Ayeka was so tempted to command Ryoko to suppress her feelings for Tenchi. To not try to seduce him or openly display her feelings for him. To instead only wish to help Ayeka to win his heart. But she had to make sure Ryoko was really under her control before trying to give her long lasting commands. "Also, whenever you hear the phrase 'Obey, Ryoko' you will go back into your current state and obey all of my commands until you hear the phrase 'Wake up, Ryoko'. Once you awaken, you will not remember anything that happened while you were in your trance. Is that understood?"

"Yes."

Ayeka looked around cautiously. She knew no one else was home (Tenchi, Noike and Sasami were out in the fields and Mihoshi still hadn't returned from her assignment) but she had to be sure before she went any further. "Call me Mistress Ayeka."

"Yes, Mistress Ayeka."

Ayeka loved the way that sounded, especially coming from Ryoko's mouth, and while Ayeka knew she should finish up now, she just couldn't help herself with her main love rival completely in her thrall. "I wish to continue this in my room. Carry me there."

"Yes, Mistress Ayeka." Ryoko stood robotically and lifted Ayeka and carried her upstairs like a man carries his wife on their wedding night, a night Ayeka yearned for with Tenchi.

Washu, meanwhile, was watching the whole thing and had already thought of a few dozen ways Ayeka's triggers could go wrong...but that was half the fun. The other half being to watch how it all went horribly, horribly wrong. Fortunately, she could observe Ayeka's room as well, something she had rarely done before but also something she was glad she'd set up when she had.

Once they were inside Ayeka's room, Ayeka locked the door and prepared to have fun with her enslaved housemate. "Ryoko, get down on your knees."

"Yes, Mistress Ayeka."

Ayeka sat down on her bed and raised her right foot. "Kiss my foot."

"Yes, Mistress Ayeka." Ryoko took Ayeka's foot in her hands and began kissing it. Ayeka giggled, though if it was more because of the feeling of power she had or the fact that it tickled a little, she couldn't say.

"Now, massage it."

"Yes, Mistress Ayeka." She did as commanded and Ayeka loved it. She was surprised how well a barbarian like Ryoko could do this. Ayeka thought of more things she could get Ryoko to do.

"Now, I want you to repeat 'Mistress Ayeka is the most beautiful woman in the universe' over and over until I tell you to stop.

"Yes, Mistress Ayeka. Mistress Ayeka is the most beautiful woman in the universe. Mistress Ayeka is the most beautiful woman in the universe. Mistress Ayeka is the most beautiful woman in the universe..." She kept this up as Ayeka laughed her noblewoman's laugh at what her greatest rival had been reduced to.

"Okay, stop." She did so. "I have one last command for you: I want you to believe you are Ryo-Ohki until I say 'stop.'"

At this, Ryoko's expression changed to one with more life and child-like wonder. She looked around the room. "Meow?" Then she saw Ayeka. "Meow!" And leapt onto her lap. Ayeka began stroking Ryoko's head and Ryoko purred in return. After a few minutes, Ayeka heard the others return from the fields and knew that her fun would have to be cut short. She was disappointed to say the least (as was Washu). She put her hand under Ryoko's chin to lift her head up and looked into her eyes. "Meow?"

"Stop, Ryoko." As commanded, Ryoko reverted to her entranced persona and awaited further commands. Ayeka knew she didn't have time to proceed with her plan but she had the triggers implanted so she could use them later. "I want you to teleport to the rafters in the living room and go from your entranced sleep into a natural sleep. When you awaken, you will not remember anything after you fell asleep on the couch and will believe that you went up there in your sleep. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress Ayeka."

"Then, go." She did as commanded. She made it into the rafters and fell asleep just a few seconds before Sasami looked up there. Sasami decided not to disturb her and she went into the kitchen with Noike and Tenchi to prepare dinner.

Ryoko woke up as Sasami called her down for dinner. She could smell the food the second she sat up. Tenchi had recently started helping with the cooking and everyone agreed (not just to win him over) that he had a natural talent for it. She floated down and joined the others at the table. Sure enough, Tenchi had done a large portion of the cooking while Sasami and Noike had done a smaller portion. Once Ayeka and Washu joined them, they got started. There were general conversations around the table such as talk about how Tenchi's cooking was getting even better and that Mihoshi would be returning from her assignment within the next few days.

Other than complimenting Tenchi's cooking, Ryoko ate in silence until Ayeka asked, "Ryoko, would you please pass the soy sauce?"

"Huh? Oh," she complied with the request and held out the small bottle. "Here you go, Mistress Ayeka."

Silence. All conversation came to a stop as everyone froze and stared at Ryoko, then at Ayeka, then at Ryoko again. The silence was deafening. Tenchi broke the silence by asking, "R-Ryoko? D-did you just call Ayeka 'Mistress'?"

Ryoko's mind had been unable to comprehend what had just happened until Tenchi asked that and it all became clear. She dropped the soy sauce and grabbed Ayeka's wrist with the same hand while stuttering, "C-come with me!" She stood and forcefully led Ayeka out of the room.

The others just sat in silence watching after them. _Oh, you forgot to remove that particular suggestion, didn't you, Ayeka?_ Washu thought to herself and did her best to conceal her smile. She activated the bug she planted on Ayeka when she'd patted her on the shoulder. She listened in with the earpiece she was secretly wearing.

Once they were out of earshot of the others, Ryoko forced Ayeka against the wall and held her there with one arm. "Y-y-you did something to me, d-didn't you?"

"W...what!?" Ayeka had to think fast to stop anyone from finding out. "H-how dare you!? I did no such thing!"

"You obviously did, why else would I call you M...M... _that_!?"

Ayeka clearly had no response to that. "What did you use?" Ryoko used her free hand to search Ayeka. "A drug? Some secret Juraian weapon?" She felt something small and round during her search. She pulled it out and saw that it was a small coin on a string. She remembered how Washu had used one to hypnotize her before and undo her previous hypnosis. She looked up at Ayeka, "You...hypnotized me, didn't you?" before Ayeka could even respond, Ryoko's emotions got the better of her and she started swinging the coin in front of Ayeka's eyes.

Ayeka immediately shut her eyes and replied, "No! I swear, Ryoko, I didn't!"

Ryoko wasn't sure if it was some side-effect of being hypnotized or just her mind not taking the time to think but she kissed Ayeka right on the lips. No tongue but it was enough of a shock to force Ayeka's eyes open and onto the coin. Ryoko immediately pulled away and began talking Ayeka down into a trance. "That's right, follow the coin with your eyes. You cannot look away. You don't _want_ to look away." Ayeka's eyes were glued to the coin as her muscles slacked and she fought against Ryoko less and less. "You want to just watch the coin swing back and forth. Back and forth. Feel yourself becoming more and more sleepy. Let your eyes close and sleep."

As Ayeka's eyes closed and her head dropped, Ryoko had a strange feeling of excitement. She wanted to control Ayeka and pay her back as soon as possible. She released her and gave her first command: "Ayeka, stand on one leg." She did as commanded. "Put your leg down and open your eyes." She did and Ryoko saw that her eyes were glazed over and dull-looking. "From now on, you are to refer to me as 'Mistress Ryoko', do you understand?"

"Yes, Mistress Ryoko," Ayeka replied in a monotone.

"Alright, I want you to forget any triggers you've put in my head."

"Yes, Mistress Ryoko."

"Good. I have one more command for you..."

Everyone looked up as Ryoko returned alone. She returned to her place at the table without saying a word while the others stared at her. Tenchi was the first to speak. "Um, Ryoko?" That was when Ayeka entered the room...entirely naked. Tenchi's nose began to bleed and Sasami and Noike clamped their hands over his eyes. Washu, meanwhile, was glad she was recording all this.

Ayeka had a quizzical look on her face as if she had no idea what the others were staring at. "Ryoko, would you please pass the soy sauce?" She seemed to have forgotten everything since she'd ask that question the first time. Ryoko handed her the bottle without a word this time while everyone else sat in stunned silence. As soon as Ayeka's fingers touched the bottle, she stopped and her casual expression changed to one of horror as she realised her situation: she was naked in front of all the others, including Tenchi. The bottle slipped through her fingers and she covered herself up with her hands. She tried to get up and run out of the room but found that she seemed to be glued to the cushion and couldn't stand. It suddenly registered in her mind that she must have been hypnotized by Ryoko, who was now shooting Ayeka a smug smirk that said 'that's what you get'. Ayeka began to cry over her predicament as Sasami brought in a blanket to cover her up.

"Ryoko!" Noike exclaimed, "That's a bit much isn't it?"

"What? You can't prove it was me."

"Ryoko," Washu took on a stern tone of voice, like a mother scolding her child. "Noike's right, this was too much." She meant it too; while it had been fun so far, seeing Ayeka so upset made Washu feel partially responsible for the way things had gone. "Release her."

"Fine," Ryoko sighed and snapped her fingers. Ayeka felt herself able to move and stood before silently leaving the room.

"You should go apologize to her later," Noike said.

"What? Why should I-" Noike cut her off with the death glare she usually reserved for Mihoshi. "A-alright, I'll do that," Ryoko continued fearfully.

After about two hours, Sasami returned from Ayeka's room to inform them that she'd calmed down and Noike prompted Ryoko to go to Ayeka now. Ryoko knocked on Ayeka's door and received a quiet "Come in" in response. Ryoko opened the door and saw Ayeka sitting on her bed, fully clothed. "Oh, it's you," she said in a tone of discontent upon seeing the person stood in her doorway.

"Yeah. I came here to apologize."

Ayeka looked stunned. "You? Apologize? Don't make me laugh!"

"It's true!" Ryoko understood why Ayeka wouldn't believe her but it still pissed her off the way she expressed her disbelief.

"I bet Washu or Noike told you to though."

"Well..." she couldn't deny that. "Do you want an apology or not?"

"Yes, I do."

"Then, I'm sorry." Her angry tone didn't really express this but Ayeka seemed to accept it.

"I'll accept your apology, but only if you do something for me."

"And what's that?"

Ayeka stood and approached Ryoko. "To look at this," she replied, pulling out her coin and swinging it in front of Ryoko's eyes.

Ryoko didn't have much time to react as her eyes were instantly drawn to the swinging coin. She managed to take her own coin out and start swinging it in front of Ayeka's eyes. Both girls stood, transfixed by the other's coin, occasionally muttering "Back and forth" or "Feeling sleepy" before both girls' eyes had glazed over and they stared blankly ahead.

"Honestly, you two never learn do you?" Washu had been listening in from the doorway (since Ayeka had removed the clothes with the bug on them) and entered the room. "Stand at attention." They did as commanded. "Now, I want you both to listen closely and obey..."

"More tea, Grandmother?" the first maid asked merrily.

"Thank you, Ayeka," Lady Seto replied, holding out her cup for a refill.

"Would you like some scones, Lady Seto?" asked the second maid. "We baked them just this morning."

"That would be lovely, Ryoko, thank you." She turned to Washu, who was sat with her at the table. "So, Washu, what exactly did you say to them?"

"Oh, I just removed all the triggers they'd given each other...and then told them that they would be our maids for a week, which should give them...three more days as maids. That should make them appreciate their free wills when they're back to normal."

"I might have to extend my visit by a few days then," Seto replied, laughing behind her little paper fan. "Hmm? By the way, isn't that the day Mihoshi returns from her assignment?"

"Yes, it is."

"You didn't by any chance arrange it so they'd return to normal just when Mihoshi returns, did you?"

"Well, I couldn't leave Mihoshi out of the fun, could I?"

"I suppose not."

"Still, it's a shame you chose to visit just when those two had taken over all the cooking duties; I know how much you wanted to try Tenchi's cooking."

"That's alright, these two are surprisingly good at cooking too."

"How kind of you to say," the pair replied in tandem.

"Well, at least things will be peaceful for a while," Washu noted.

"Indeed."


End file.
